If the priority date retrogresses after my approved I-140, do I have to keep waiting?

In general, yes: you wait. When your priority date retrogresses after your I-140 is approved, it means that, at that point, no visa number is available for your case. The petition remains approved and valid, but the next step stays in the queue until the date becomes available again.

This retrogression is part of how the system itself works, organizing the distribution of visas when there are more approvals than available slots in a category such as EB-1. The Visa Bulletin, published by the U.S. Department of State, tracks these movements.

• The approved I-140 remains valid while you wait.
• The adjustment of status application or consular processing only moves forward when your date becomes current again.
• Date movement is tracked by the Visa Bulletin.

Because the pace of priority dates changes with demand and current policy, it is worth monitoring the Visa Bulletin regularly and confirming the status of your case through official sources or with a specialist, rather than relying on fixed timelines.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.